About: My May TBR includes 18 books that I want to read in May, including four books by AAPI authors to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month!
(more…)18 Books on My May TBR
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King Arthur and Her Knights, A Series by K.M. Shea
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The Gist: The series King Arthur and Her Knights is an entertaining and light-hearted gender-bent King Arthur retelling that follows Brit as she’s pulled back in time to unite Britain by assuming the position of King Arthur.
(more…)The End of Year Book Tag: 2022
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Quick Take: The End of Year Book Tag includes six questions that unpack the books I still need and want to read in 2022 and my bookish plans for 2021.
(more…)Book Review: A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas
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The Gist: The 4th book in the iconic A Court of Thorns and Roses series solidifies Nesta as my favourite character; perspective is everything.
Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses, #4
Release Date: February 16, 2021
Synopsis
Nesta Archeron has always been prickly-proud, swift to anger, and slow to forgive. And ever since being forced into the Cauldron and becoming High Fae against her will, she’s struggled to find a place for herself within the strange, deadly world she inhabits. Worse, she can’t seem to move past the horrors of the war with Hybern and all she lost in it.
The one person who ignites her temper more than any other is Cassian, the battle-scarred warrior whose position in Rhysand and Feyre’s Night Court keeps him constantly in Nesta’s orbit. But her temper isn’t the only thing Cassian ignites. The fire between them is undeniable, and only burns hotter as they are forced into close quarters with each other.
Meanwhile, the treacherous human queens who returned to the Continent during the last war have forged a dangerous new alliance, threatening the fragile peace that has settled over the realms. And the key to halting them might very well rely on Cassian and Nesta facing their haunting pasts.
Against the sweeping backdrop of a world seared by war and plagued with uncertainty, Nesta and Cassian battle monsters from within and without as they search for acceptance-and healing-in each other’s arms.
Ending
HFN
Representation
• Bisexual side character
• Supporting character of colour
• Supporting character of colour
Possible Triggers: Yes
• Discussion of past r@pe and sexual assault
• Attempted r@pe
• PTSD
• Depression
• Suicidal ideation
• Violence with blood and gore
• Discussion of past physical abuse
• Attempted r@pe
• PTSD
• Depression
• Suicidal ideation
• Violence with blood and gore
• Discussion of past physical abuse
Safety Rating: Safe
• No cheating
• No OW/OM drama
– Nesta has *not* been celibate since meeting Cassian
– Cassian has been celibate for 2-years
• Does have the Hero and Heroine pushing away
• Does have a separation between the Hero and Heroine
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
• No OW/OM drama
– Nesta has *not* been celibate since meeting Cassian
– Cassian has been celibate for 2-years
• Does have the Hero and Heroine pushing away
• Does have a separation between the Hero and Heroine
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
Format: Kindle
Rating: 4.25-stars
(more…)Sweet Yet Anti-climatic: A Deal with the Elf King by Elise Kova
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The Gist: A standalone epic fantasy loosely based on the mythology of Hades and Persephone, and while an enemies-to-lovers romance that has its sweet parts, the lack of world-building, endearing characterizations and number of plot holes made the novel quite anti-climatic.
Series: Married to Magic, #1*
Release Date: November 6, 2020
Synopsis
Perfect for fans of A Court of Thorns and Roses and Uprooted, this stand-alone, fantasy romance about a human girl and her marriage to the Elf King is impossible to put down!
The elves come for two things: war and wives. In both cases, they come for death.
Three-thousand years ago, humans were hunted by powerful races with wild magic until the treaty was formed. Now, for centuries, the elves have taken a young woman from Luella’s village to be their Human Queen.
To be chosen is seen as a mark of death by the townsfolk. A mark nineteen-year-old Luella is grateful to have escaped as a girl. Instead, she’s dedicated her life to studying herbology and becoming the town’s only healer.
That is, until the Elf King unexpectedly arrives… for her.
Everything Luella had thought she’d known about her life, and herself, was a lie. Taken to a land filled with wild magic, Luella is forced to be the new queen to a cold yet blisteringly handsome Elf King. Once there, she learns about a dying world that only she can save.
The magical land of Midscape pulls on one corner of her heart, her home and people tug on another… but what will truly break her is a passion she never wanted.
A Deal with the Elf King is a complete, stand-alone novel, inspired by the tales of Hades and Persephone, as well as Beauty and the Beast, with a “happily ever after” ending. It’s perfect for fantasy romance fans looking for just the right amount of steam and their next slow-burn and swoon-worthy couple.
Ending
HFN but the extended epilogue shows it’s a HEA (you can access the extra scene through the back of the ebook or on Elise Kova’s website)
Representation
No strong representations of the following:
• BIPOC characters
• LGBTQIA+ characters
• characters with a disability
And doesn’t address fatphobia
• BIPOC characters
• LGBTQIA+ characters
• characters with a disability
And doesn’t address fatphobia
Possible Triggers: Yes
• Parental neglect
• Themes of isolation and abandonment
• Themes of isolation and abandonment
Safety Rating: Safe with Exceptions
• No cheating
• Does have OW/OM drama (kind of)
– The Heroine was in love with her childhood best friend, but he turns out to be an asshole. And, apparently, she wasn’t “in love” with him but loved the idea of him? (There’s kissing *before* the Heroine meets the Hero)
– The Hero tried to date/court *his* best friend 3-4 years ago; she’s currently the Hand of the King. They both agreed they were better off friends. Their relationship didn’t progress past kissing but apparently, that attempt made them closer as friends.
• Does have the Hero and Heroine pushing away
• Does have a separation between the Hero and Heroine
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
• Does have OW/OM drama (kind of)
– The Heroine was in love with her childhood best friend, but he turns out to be an asshole. And, apparently, she wasn’t “in love” with him but loved the idea of him? (There’s kissing *before* the Heroine meets the Hero)
– The Hero tried to date/court *his* best friend 3-4 years ago; she’s currently the Hand of the King. They both agreed they were better off friends. Their relationship didn’t progress past kissing but apparently, that attempt made them closer as friends.
• Does have the Hero and Heroine pushing away
• Does have a separation between the Hero and Heroine
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
Format: Kindle Unlimited
Rating: 3-stars
*Each novel in the series is Standalone
(more…)Lyrical Yet Underwhelming: Sisters of Sword and Song by Rebecca Ross
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The Gist: A beautifully rich high fantasy that incorporates all the best parts of mythology–magic, the ancestry of gods, and a save-the-world quest–made all the more gripping by its earnest exploration of two sisters who would go through hell for each other. However, the plot’s climax revealed my apathy towards the quest’s fulfillment–saving the Queen didn’t feel like much of a success, given everyone I connected to had to suffer for it–making the novel not as enjoyable.
Series: Standalone
Release Date: June 23, 2020
Synopsis
From the author of The Queen’s Rising comes a thrilling YA stand-alone fantasy about the unbreakable bond between sisters. Perfect for fans of Ember in the Ashes, Sky in the Deep, and Court of Fives.
After eight long years, Evadne will finally be reunited with her older sister, Halcyon, who has been proudly serving in the queen’s army. But when Halcyon appears earlier than expected, Eva knows something has gone terribly wrong. Halcyon is on the run, hunted by her commander and charged with murder.
Though Halcyon’s life is spared during her trial, the punishment is heavy. And when Eva volunteers to serve part of Halcyon’s sentence, she’s determined to find out exactly what happened. But as Eva begins her sentence, she quickly learns that there are fates much worse than death.
Ending
HFN
Representation
No strong representations of the following:
• BIPOC characters
• LGBTQIA+ characters
• characters with a disability
And doesn’t address fatphobia
• BIPOC characters
• LGBTQIA+ characters
• characters with a disability
And doesn’t address fatphobia
Possible Triggers: Yes
• Murder
• Betrayal of mentor/mentee resulting in imprisonment
• Torture
• Death of a sibling
• Death of a parent
• Betrayal of mentor/mentee resulting in imprisonment
• Torture
• Death of a sibling
• Death of a parent
Safety Rating: Safe
• No cheating
• No OW/OM drama
• Does have the Heroine pushing the Hero away
• Does have a separation between the Hero and Heroine
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
• No OW/OM drama
• Does have the Heroine pushing the Hero away
• Does have a separation between the Hero and Heroine
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
Format: Hardcover
Rating: 3.75-stars
(more…)Magical and Entrancing: Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson
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The Gist: An entrancing standalone epic fantasy; it brings the magic of books to life through the Heroine’s journey to discover who is attempting to sabotage the Great Libraries and made all the more enjoyable by its adorable enemies to friends to lovers romances and themes of friendship.
Series: Sorcery of Thorns, #1
Release Date: June 4, 2019
Synopsis
All sorcerers are evil. Elisabeth has known that as long as she has known anything. Raised as a foundling in one of Austermeer’s Great Libraries, Elisabeth has grown up among the tools of sorcery—magical grimoires that whisper on shelves and rattle beneath iron chains. If provoked, they transform into grotesque monsters of ink and leather. She hopes to become a warden, charged with protecting the kingdom from their power.
Then an act of sabotage releases the library’s most dangerous grimoire. Elisabeth’s desperate intervention implicates her in the crime, and she is torn from her home to face justice in the capital. With no one to turn to but her sworn enemy, the sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn, and his mysterious demonic servant, she finds herself entangled in a centuries-old conspiracy. Not only could the Great Libraries go up in flames, but the world along with them.
As her alliance with Nathaniel grows stronger, Elisabeth starts to question everything she’s been taught—about sorcerers, about the libraries she loves, even about herself. For Elisabeth has a power she has never guessed, and a future she could never have imagined.
Ending
HFN
Representation
• Bisexual Hero
• Asexual supporting character
• Asexual supporting character
Possible Triggers: Yes
• Murder
• Allusion to torture
• Gaslighting
• Allusion to torture
• Gaslighting
Safety Rating: Safe
• No cheating
• No OW/OM drama
• Does have the Hero pushing the Heroine away
• Does have a separation between the Heroine and Hero
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
• No OW/OM drama
• Does have the Hero pushing the Heroine away
• Does have a separation between the Heroine and Hero
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
Format: Hardcover
Rating: 4.75-stars
(more…)Entertaining Yet Unsatisfactory: Seven Ways to Kill A King by Melissa Wright
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The Gist: A standalone epic fantasy that has all the makings for a great revenge-filled novel with its good pacing and complex assassinations; however, it falls short in its comparison to The Witcher and Game of Thrones as there’s more moral introspection than badass name-taking and its uninspiring characterizations.
Series: Standalone
Release Date: September 1, 2020
Synopsis
She was born a princess. They made her an assassin.
One was an accident. Two a coincidence. By three, they would know. It would be harder. But I would avenge my mother’s death. These kings would pay that price.
Seven cities make up the Storm Queen’s Realm, each of their self-crowned, murderous kings one of Princess Myrina’s marks. The treasonous curs may have banded together to share a stolen throne, but soon they will fall.
They thought her dead, killed in the massacre. They thought their rule secure. But Myrina of Stormskeep has awoken, and with the help of her loyal bloodsworn, the shadow princess will have her revenge.
For fans of The Witcher and Game of Thrones—a new princess set on vengeance is here to steal your heart.
Ending
HFN
Representation
No strong representations of the following:
• BIPOC characters
• LGBTQIA+ characters
• characters with a disability
And doesn’t address fatphobia
• BIPOC characters
• LGBTQIA+ characters
• characters with a disability
And doesn’t address fatphobia
Possible Triggers: Yes
• Murder
• Betrayal
• Death of loved ones (family members)
• Blood and gore
• PTSD
• Betrayal
• Death of loved ones (family members)
• Blood and gore
• PTSD
Safety Rating: Safe
• No cheating
• No OW/OM drama
• Does have the Hero and Heroine pushing each other away
• Does have a separation between the Heroine and Hero
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
• No OW/OM drama
• Does have the Hero and Heroine pushing each other away
• Does have a separation between the Heroine and Hero
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
Format: Kindle
Rating: 3.25-stars
(more…)14 New Books: My October Book Haul
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My October Book Haul includes both my hardcopy and ebook purchases I’ve made since my September book haul (click here to see). The haul totals to 14 books (including ebooks), and every book, except for two, is a book I’ve wanted to read for months! Despite October being a month dedicated to spooky reads, I’ve never been much of a mystery/thriller fan. However, I’m broadening my typical reading genres by including a mystery in this haul!
(more…)27 ebooks: My September Book Haul
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My original plan was to add my Kindle book haul to my August Wrap but it just made the post way too long and convoluted. So, I’ve decided to post a separate book haul dedicated to all the books I’ve purchased as ebooks, which, for me, are Kindle books.
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